Baccarat Side Bets Calculator

Compare odds, payouts, and house edge for all baccarat side bets. Find the best and worst side bets for your bankroll.

Formula:Expected Value = -1 × House Edge × Bet Amount

House Edge

2.65%

Max Payout

30:1

Win Probability

22.76%

Expected Value

$-0.27

Per $10 bet

Player wins by natural or margin of 4+

$

Amount to wager on the side bet

Dragon Bonus (Player) Payout Table

OutcomePayoutProbabilityWin Amount
Natural Win1:116.25%+$10.00
Win by 930:10.22%+$300.00
Win by 810:10.63%+$100.00
Win by 76:11.27%+$60.00
Win by 64:11.39%+$40.00
Win by 52:11.44%+$20.00
Win by 41:11.56%+$10.00
OtherLose77.24%-$10

Recommendation

Relatively low house edge for a side bet. Acceptable for entertainment.

All Side Bets Comparison

Side BetMax PayoutHouse EdgeRating
Dragon Bonus (Player)30:12.65%✓ Good
Big0.54:14.35%✓ Good
Small1.5:15.27%~ Fair
Dragon Bonus (Banker)30:19.37%~ Fair
Player Pair11:110.36%~ Fair
Banker Pair11:110.36%~ Fair
Tiger20:112.20%~ Fair
Perfect Pair25:113.03%~ Fair
Either Pair5:114.54%~ Fair
Super Six / Lucky Six12:129.98%✗ Avoid

Compare to Main Bets

Banker
1.06%
Best bet
Player
1.24%
Second best
Tie
14.36%
Avoid

Main Banker and Player bets have much better odds than most side bets.

Key Facts

  • Best side bet: Player Dragon Bonus (2.65% edge)
  • Worst common side bet: Super Six (30% edge)
  • Pair bets: 11:1 payout, 10.36% house edge
  • Big/Small: Low edge (4-5%) but small payouts
  • Main bets are always better than side bets
  • Side bets are designed for entertainment only
  • House edge varies dramatically between side bets

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best baccarat side bets?

The Player Dragon Bonus has the lowest house edge at 2.65%, making it the best side bet mathematically. Big and Small bets are also reasonable at 4-5% house edge. Avoid Super Six (30% edge) and high-payout pair bets (10%+ edge).

Are baccarat side bets worth it?

Side bets have significantly higher house edges than the main baccarat bets. The main Banker bet has only 1.06% edge, while most side bets are 5-15% or higher. Only make side bets for entertainment, not as a winning strategy.

What is the Pair bet in baccarat?

Pair bets win when the first two cards dealt to either the Player or Banker form a pair. Standard Pair bets pay 11:1 with a 10.36% house edge. Perfect Pair (same rank and suit) pays more but has even worse odds.

How does the Dragon Bonus work?

Dragon Bonus pays when your chosen side (Player or Banker) wins with a natural (8 or 9) or by a margin of 4+ points. Player Dragon Bonus has a 2.65% house edge - the best baccarat side bet. Banker Dragon has 9.37% edge.